Man arrested twice in six days was under investigation for following female college students to their vehicles and trying to open their car doors

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Andrew Stephenson Wise, 40, was arrested on October 18 and October 24; he was reportedly under investigation for following female college students to their vehicles and then trying to get in their cars.

At about 9:47 p.m. on October 18, a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer responded to a call from the Holiday Inn at 1250 W. University Avenue and found all the guests of the hotel and the restaurant standing outside because the fire alarm had been pulled. A witness said that Wise had pulled the fire alarm, but there was no fire. The witness also reportedly said that Wise had been yelling violent threats at the patrons and punching vehicles in the parking lot.

Wise was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and falsely activating a fire alarm. He had no criminal convictions, but he has a protective injunction in another (unspecified) state; Judge James Colaw set bail at $5,000. Wise posted bond and was released from the Alachua County Jail on October 19.

At about 3:00 a.m. on October 24, GPD officers were watching Wise because of reports that he had followed female college students, making them feel unsafe and uncomfortable; the report notes that he would also attempt to open car doors, “thinking they’re his ride home.”

Officers reportedly watched Wise in an alley behind a strip of closed businesses in the 1700 block of West University Avenue, where Wise allegedly walked “suspiciously” between vehicles and then disappeared; an officer checked the doors to all of the businesses, and they were all locked.

About an hour later, a University of Florida Police Department officer notified GPD that Wise had been found sleeping inside a business on the same block. The front door of the business was locked, but an officer found that the rear door was unlocked and cracked open.

At first, Wise reportedly said nobody gave him permission to be inside the business, but at the jail, he said his friend “Mr. G” works at the business and told him he could go inside. An officer called “Mr. G” from Wise’s phone, but the person who answered reportedly said he does not work at the business.

The arresting officer noted that Wise has had “recent numerous law enforcement contacts,” including the fire alarm incident, “numerous” trespass warnings, and an increasing behavior of following women to their vehicles and trying to open their car doors. The officer wrote, “Now, with [Wise] being inside of a closed business, [he] couldn’t dispel my fear that he would not continue engaging in criminal activity in the area.”

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 1.6 grams of pre-rolled marijuana; Wise reportedly does not have a medical marijuana card.

Wise was arrested and charged with loitering/prowling and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $20,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.